Automatic packaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A packaging machine utilizing a tubular plastic film material whereby the tubular material is formed into a bag and the bag is filled and sealed, all of these operations being performed on the machine. The apparatus includes a parallelogram linkage and gripper jaws for transferring the formed tubing, by its severed end, from the severing position to the material filling position, slackening the lateral margins of the tubing so that vacuum cups can hold them open during filling, and then tightening the margins so that the bag can be filled.

United States Patent Inventor Toshihiko Satake 2-38, Nishihon-lnachi,Saliyocho, Kamogun, Hiroshima, Japan Appl. No. 839,868

Filed July 8, 1969 Patented Sept. 2 l, 1971 Priority July 11, 1968 JapanAUTOMATIC PACKAGING APPARATUS 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 156/515, 53/183 Int. Cl 1332b 31/20, l 6 5b 1/02 Field of Search156/5 15;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,676,442 4/1954 Gaubert53/183 2,957,284 10/1960 Harker 53/183 X 3,481,110 12/1969 Titchenal53/183 3,492,775 2/1970 Rhine et al 53/183 X Primary Examiner- BenjaminA. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-James M. Hanley Attorney-Browdy andNeimark ABSTRACT: A packaging machine utilizing a tubular plastic filmmaterial whereby the tubular material is formed into in bag and the bagis filled and sealed, all of these operations being performed on themachine. The apparatus includes a parallelogram linkage and gripper jawsfor transferring the formed tubing, by its severed end, from thesevering position to the material filling position, slackening thelateral margins of the tubing so that vacuum cups can hold them openduring filling, and then tightening the margins so that the bag can befilled.

PATENTEU SEP21 197i 34607-574 sum 1 OF 4 H a "2:111.xtLLLlJ-lllllllllIIKlI-llJm INVENTOR PATENTEUSEPZHSII 3.607574 SHEET 2BF 4 ATTORNEYS PATENT'EU SEP21 l9?! mvsmon ATTORNEYS AUTOMATIC PACKAGINGAPPARATUS The present invention is concerned with an apparatus designedfor automatic packaging of mainly polished rice grains. The object ofthe invention is to provide an automatic packaging apparatus which hasthe shortcomings of conventional packaging apparatus eliminated, effectsaccurate packaging in bags and yet is cheap in manufacturingcost.

The present invention is also concerned with automatic preparation ofbags of soft artificial resin.

DRAWING The accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1 through 9, illustrate anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertically cross-sectional side view representing the wholeconfiguration of apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of critical parts of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the parts shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 a and b are respectively oblique views of other critical parts.

FIG. 5 is an oblique view showing parts disassembled of the mechanismshown in FIGS. 4 a and b.

FIG. 6 is an assembled oblique view of the parts shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an oblique view showing in detail the mechanism of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a diagram used for explanation of the operation of themechanism.

FIG. 9 is a plane view showing the pattern of the hose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now bedescribed in detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

A base frame 1 has a rear wall 2 erected upward at the rear end and afront wall 3 erected at a position slightly forward from the middleportion thereof and sidewalls 4 and 5 provided between the front andrear walls 2 and 3, said sidewalls 4 and 5 having openings with doors,etc. for closing provided at necessary portions, to form anapproximately cubic box 6 with the front wall 3, rear wall 2 and bothsidewalls 4 and 5. The box 6 has a top plate 7 extended partially fromthe rear wall 2 and a wall 8 erected upward at the front edge of the topplate 7 to form the rear wall of an enclosing frame. At an appropriateplace of the rear wall 8, a sloping plate 9 is provided with the rearend attached to the rear wall 8, extended forward over the front wall 3and bent downward at the front to form a rear wall 11 of a feed port 10.Spaced appropriately from the rear wall 11, a front wall 12 of theenclosing frame is erected so that, with sidewalls l3 and 14provided'between the front wall 12 and the rear wall 8, the enclosingframe 15 is formed. The box 6 has a spindle 16 provided therein in alateral direction at an upper central portion, the spindle 16 beingsecured to either of the sidewalls 4 and 5 and being adapted to rotatefreely or merely fixed as appropriate, a guide pulley 17 pivoted at aposition higher than that of the lower opening of the feed port and inparallel to the spindle 16, another guide pulley 18 provided at anappropriate spacing from the guide pulley 17, said guide pulleys l7 and18 being carried by the sidewalls, and a vertically freely movablehauling pulley 19 provided between and below the guide pulleys l7 and18. Another guide pulley 20 is provided in a pivoting mechanism in frontof the front wall 3 of the box 6 and at the same level with said guidepulleys 17 and 18. Directly below the guide pulley 20 are providedartificial resin material feed control rolls 21 and 21 in a closeposition with each other. Below the feed control rolls 21 and 21, sealdevices 22 and 22 are provided, and under the seal devices 22 and 22, acutter 23 which is freely movable back and forth and left and right isprovided. In the front wall 3 of the box 6, bearings 24 and 24 aresecured at a substantial spacing seen from the front and positionsdirectly below the cutter 23, with the extreme ends of the bearings 24and 24 extended about midway between the feed port 10 and the cutter 23.At the end portion of each bearing, a spindle hole is provided toaccommodate a spindle 25 which has a length enough to project out of thespindle hole and has another spindle 25' fitted thereover into a dualspindle. The spindle 25' has mounted thereover a rotary boss-26 to whichone end of an arm 27 is secured. The other end of the arm 27 is securedto another another boss 28. The bearing has also a spindle 29 providedtherein separately at a predetermined spacing from the spindle 25. Thespindle 29 has a boss 31 mounted thereover for an arm 30 of the samelength with said arm 27 and having a boss 32 formed at the other end tocarry with the boss 28 at the end of said arm 27 a holder-carryingmember 33 through spindles 34 and 35. Thus, the arms 27 and 30 and thecarrying member 33 form a parallelogram, while the holder-carryingmember 33 has a configuration in the form of a horizontal Y with oneholding member 36 projected forward at the midway and a spindle 37provided at the base. An arm 39 having the other holding member 38 ismounted over the spindle 37 at that portion which projects upward. Thearm 39 has a spindle hole provided at the base part to incorporate oneend of an arm 40 of the same length with the arm 30 and having a boss 42provided at the other end. At the upwardly extruding portion of thespindle 25, a boss 44 at the base of an arm 43 is journaled. With aspring 42 provided between the arm 43 and the bearing 24 and a spindlehole provided at the extreme end, the arm 43 is journaled together withthe boss 42 at the end of said arm 40 by means of a spindle 45. Thespindle 25 is projected below the bearing 24, and the inside spindle 25is projected downward further. The spindle 25 has an arm 46 securedthereto, and the spindle 25 has an arm 47 secured thereto. By rotatingthe arm 46, the whole of the holding member unit makes a rotarymovement, and by rotating the arm 47, the holding members function tohold or separate. Inside said box 6, a spindle 48 is provided axiallyunder the spindle l6 and guide pulleys l7 and 18 and in parallel totheir axial direction. A cylinder 49 is fitted over the spindle 48. Atthe ends of the cylinder 49, carriers 50 and 50 are attached firmly. Thecarriers 50 and 50 have respectively the base parts of arms 51 of equallength secured, and the arms 51 have holding member carriers 52 and 52secured firmly at the ends. At the base part of one of the holdingmember carriers 52, an obtuse angle rotating member 53 is journaledthrough a spindle 54, the portion 55 extended forwardly of the obtuseangle rotating member 53 being of such a length that its extreme end islocated about midway of two spindle holes provided at about extreme endsof said holding member carriers 52 and 52. In said two spindle holes,rotary spindles 56 and 56 are set for free rotation respectively andextended slightly outward at that side of the holding member carrier 52which has the obtuse angle rotary member 53 attached thereto, with arms57 and 58 attached firmly in the form of diverging arms as seen from theside to that portions of the rotary spindles 56 and 56 which areextended beyond the carrier 52. Said rotary spindles 56 and 56 have fourholding member 59--mounted thereon firmly, the opposing, member 59 and59 being so mounted that they are pulled each other by means of a spring60. On the other hand, said spindle 48 has another obtuse angle rotarymember 61 mounted rotatably at the projected portion, and one of saidcarriers 50 is bent downward at an angle to project an arm 62 at the endof which an obtuse angle rotary member 63 is mounted across a roller 64.Said obtuse angle rotary member 63 has a roller 64 mounted at the end ofone extended portion thereof, while the other extended portion of theobtuse angle rotary member 63 is connected through a connecting rod 65to one end of the obtuse angle ro tary member 61 mounted on said spindle48, and the other end of the obtuse angle rotary member 61 is connectedthrough a connecting rod 66 to one end of the obtuse angle rotary member53 mounted on said holding member carrier 52. In the box 6, there isalso a spindle 67 provided at a position slightly toward the rear wall 2from said roller 64. The spindle 67 has two cams 68 and 69 mountedthereon, the cam 63 having said roller 64' in contact and the cam 69having the roller 64 at the end of arm 62 in contact. With rotation ofthe cams 68 and 69, the holding members 59 are adapted to move up anddown and also open or close. The spindle 67 has another cam 70 mountedthereon. Under the mechanism for supporting rotating movement of saidholding members 59, a separate spindle 71 is provided. On the spindle71, a long rotatable frame 72 is mounted at midway thereof. Thisrotatable frame 72 has a roller 73 mounted at the end on the side towardthe rear wall 2, said roller 73 coming into engagement with the cam 70,while the other end of rotatable frame 72 is extended to beneath thefeed port and has a cradle '74 mounted through spindles. A solenoid 75is mounted on the lower side of said end of rotatable frame 72 themovable lever 76 of the solenoid 75 being connected through a spindle tothe reverse side of the cradle 74. Directly under the feed port 10, awelding member 77 for seal of the upper side of a bag is provided forfree movement back and forth. Further, arms 79 and 79 are providedacross the feed port 10, these arms being adapted to rotate suctionvalves 78 and 78 and being mounted through spindles. These arms 79 and79 have respectively arms 80 and 80 pivoted at midways, the latter arms80 being adapted to open or close the arms 79 and being coupled to amovable member 82 of a solenoid 81 mounted on either of the left andright walls 14 of the feed port 10. Thus, with operation of the solenoid81, the suction valves are adapted to come into contact. In theenclosing frame 15, a fulcrum 83 is provided at an appropriate position.The fulcrum 83 has mounted thereon an arm 84 which is adapted to rotateabout the fulcrum 83. The arm 84 has a weight 85 suspended therefrom onthe side toward the rear wall 8 and a hopper scale 86 mounted on theside toward the front wall 12. Over the hopper scale 86, another hopper87 is provided. Said spindle 16 has a roll of hose made of an artificialresin inserted thereon laterally. The front end of the hose 88 istrained over the guide pulleys 17, l8, l9 and 20 and is held between thefeed control rolls 21 and 21. The hose has a desired indication 89printed successively and a mark 90 printed at a predetermined interval.Slightly above the feed control rolls 21 and 21, a sensing device al,such as a phototransducer, for example is provided for detecting themarks 90. The sensing device 91 is connected by any suitable means withthe feed control rolls 21 and 21.

With the foregoing configuration of the apparatus according to thepresent invention, when the camshaft is driven by any suitable power torotate the cam 63, the roller 64 in engagement with the cam 63 makes theobtuse angle rotary member 60 to move up and down. Now looking at themovement of the roller 64 provided at the end of the obtuse angle rotarymember 60, the roller 64 makes the arm 62 to rotate about the spindle48. As the result, the integrally constructed arm 51 moves up and downso that the holding members 59 at the end of the arm 51 are raised abovethe cutter 23. During the process of elevation to such position, theroller 64' pivoted at one end of the obtuse angle rotary member 63 whichis pivoted to the end of the arm 62 is in contact with the cam 68 whichhas a peripheral form adapted to rotate the obtuse angle rotary member63 in a counterclockwise direction with elevation of the holding member59. Thus, the holding members 59 are caused to open through theconnecting rods 65 and 66 against the force of the spring 60. When theholding members 59 descend, the roller 64' at the end of the obtuseangle rotary member 63, which is provided at the end of the arm 62, isreleased from the cam 68 into a free state so that the holding members59 are caused to close by the force of the spring 60. Thus, the holdingmembers 59 repeat the movement of rising to hold he lower end of thehose for the predetermined length and again rising to hold the hose 88and descending to pull down for the predetermined length. When theholding members 59 rise to hold the lower end of the hose 88 thendescend to the position shown in full line in FIG. 3, the holdingmembers 36 and 38 provided beneath the cutter 23 and adapted to moveback and forth rotate about the spindles 25 and 25 to hold the hose 88.

Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 8, the spindle 25' rotates for apredetermined angle as the arm 46 is driven to rotate by a cam providedat an appropriate position. Then the holding members 36 and 38 move fromthe position a to the position 6 in FIG. 8. Further, with rotation ofthe arm 47 mounted on the spindle 25 for a predetermined range by anappropriate cam, the arm 43 at the upper projected portion of thespindle 25 also rotates so that the holding members 36 and 38 have theone member 38 caused to open or close across the arm 40. At the sametime, the hose pulled down and cut by the cutter 23 is caused to advanceto the position under the feed port 10. More specifically, the holdingmembers 36 and 38 holding the pulled-down hose 88 proceed in a plane aremovement, and this arc movement is one of the significant points of thepresent invention. Even if the hose cut in the form of a bag 88' istransfered beneath the feed port 10 by the rotary movement of theholding members 36 and 38, the mouth of the bag 88 is not opened unlessthere is a means to open it. In order to open the mouth of the bag 88,each of the pairs of opposing holding members 36 and 38 must have itsposition pulled somewhat inside more than that shown in FIG. 8 at a sothat the top of the bag is slackened, Thus, the position b at which thematerial is packed is so provided that the holding members are pulledinside, with the center (pivot point) between a and b deviated toward b.Accordingly, the mouth of the bag 88' is given a slack at point b. Insuch a state, the solenoid 81 operates to have the suction valves 78 and78 draw and open the mouth of the bag 88' from sides to allow filling ofa previously weighed material. When the filling is almost completed, theholding members proceed from the position b to the position c. With thismovement of the holding members, they extend sideways to close the mouthof the bag and keep the bag in a state adapted to seal the mouth whichis then sealed completely by means of the welding member 77.

While such a process is repeated, deviation of the pattern on thesurface of a bag may occur depending on the condition of bagpreparation. In the present invention, the hose 88 have marks printedthereon at a constant interval. Until such a mark 90 is detected by thesensing device 91, the feed control rolls 21 and 21 continue to operate.Thus, adjustment of the pattern is achieved easily.

The automatic packaging apparatus of the present invention has manyfeatures which are not seen in the conventional devices.

One of the main features is the use of a long hose 88 of artificialresin material rolled in a flat form which has its extreme end sealed inthe form of a flat hose and is then drawn out and cut at an upper partto provide the mouth of a bag. So far as the applicant knows frominvestigation, such is a quite novel idea and presents many advantages.Where an material is to be filled from the upper side, an artificialresin material or other material in the form of not a hose but a sheetis usually used. In order to form the mouth of a bag, it is pulled down,and while it is being pulled down, its sides are sealed togethervertically into a bag. Even if a hose is used, it is cut partiallybefore it is pulled out. This involves a fatal shortcoming for packing alarge amount of material. For example, in transforming a sheet into abag, the vertically sealed portion has two layers of bag material. Whenthe top or bottom is sealed, sealing of three or four layers isencountered partially. To seal them together is almost impossible. Thus,such a device is not usable practically. The thought to pull down a flathose and cut the hose at an upper part to form the mouth of a bag hasnever occurred so that a sheet of artificial resin has been in useconventionally. Even if a sheet is not used but a roll of flat hose isused, it is unexceptionally pulled up to seal the lower part and fill amaterial. As the result, material grains flowing out of the bag drop onthe hose which is cut to form a bag, thus hindering operations.

The present process of pulling down the hose is quite advantageous andpresents remarkable effects. In the conventional methods in which thehose is pulled up, the hose has its mouth opened while it is beingpulled up. For the purpose, a

roller is put in the hose, and as the roller moves, the hose is opened.Consequently, the time allowable for sealing the bottom after the hosehas been pulled up is very short, often causing incomplete welding.According to the present invention, however, the sealed hose is pulleddown so that the welder can be pressed against the hose for a sufficienttime during the operation of packing and the succeeding process ofpulling down continuously. Thus, the method of the invention is entirelyfree of incomplete sealing. Should the bag be damaged due to incompletesealing, the rice grains dissipateand are no longer more valuable as acommodity.

Another feature of the invention is that the hose having the upper partcut is moved forward, while the holding members are moved in a planearc. This has been described in detail in the foregoing and it will notbe necessary to discuss this again.

it will be readily understood from the foregoing that the apparatus ofthe present invention is of refined configuration with no mechanicallydefective parts which tend to cause a failure and is a remarkably simplemechanism, permitting use of a roll of hose and allowing readyadjustment of the pattern. In short, it has no shortcomings. Theseadvantages are obtained by the process of pulling down the hose andcutting it at the upper part.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for packaging materials comprising means for dispensingheat-scalable thermoplastic tubing;

means for dispensing flowable material to be packed;

means for heat sealing said tubing;

means for severing said tubing;

means for drawing the tubing from the dispensing means downwardlyrelative to said heat-sealing means and severing means;

means for transferring the end of a severed length of tubing fromadjacent the severing means to said materialdispensing means;

gripping means for holding two opposite lateral margins of said tubingprior to severing and while it is in flat form; said gripping meansbeing so mounted for movement in a generally horizontal direction thatthe severed tubing can be moved from a position adjacent the severingmeans to a position below the material-dispensing means; and

means to cause the two margins of the tubing to approach one another toslacken the wall of the tubing and enable opening of the mouth of thebag, whereby the gripping means operates in timed relation so that saidtubing is initially heat sealed, a length of said tubing is then drawndownwardly and is severed to form a bag open at its upper end, and thebag is then filled with material from its upper end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including pneumatic suction meansadjacent the material-dispensing means for engagement with the oppositeexternal surfaces of the tubing in order to hold open the mouth of thebag during filling thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transferring means comprises twospaced cooperating pairs of gripper jaws for engaging the margins of thetubing, each pair of jaws being mounted at the extremity of a pivotedarm, the said arms being so arranged for simultaneous swinging movementbetween their pivots that at the respective ends of a range of pivotingmovement of the arms the pairs of jaws occupy positions adjacent saidsevering means and said heat-sealing means, and are spaced apart by adistance such that the tubing is held in a taut condition, while at aposition intermediate said range of pivoting movement the jaws arelocated adjacent the materialdispensing means and are spaced moreclosely together to slacken the tubing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said pivoted arms compriseparallelogram linkages so that the gripping faces of said jaws remainoriented in the plane of the'tubing throughout the range of pivotingmovement of said arms.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 QQZ52;, Dated 55 125 231 2| 2:21

lnven fl Toshihiko SATAKE It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 3, line L O, should be --9l- Column 3, line 68, after- "hold""he" should read --the--; and

after "hose" insert the following --rolled on the spindle 16 thendescending to pull down the hose-- Signed and sealed this 11th day ofApril 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD I T.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents ORM PC4050 USCOMM-DC G0376-P69 I.I.S GOVEBNHENT PRINYINGOFFICE I 9.9 0-35633l

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including pneumatic suction meansadjacent the material-dispensing means for engagement with the oppositeexternal surfaces of the tubing in order to hold open the mouth of thebag during filling thereof.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein thetransferring means comprises two spaced cooperating pairs of gripperjaws for engaging the margins of the tubing, each pair of jaws beingmounted at the extremity of a pivoted arm, the said arms being soarranged for simultaneous swinging movement between their pivots that atthe respective ends of a range of pivoting movement of the arms thepairs of jaws occupy positions adjacent said severing means and saidheat-sealing means, and are spaced apart by a distance such that thetubing is held in a taut condition, while at a position intermediatesaid range of pivoting movement the jaws are located adjacent thematerial-dispensing means and are spaced more closely together toslacken the tubing.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said pivotedarms comprise parallelogram linkages so that the gripping faces of saidjaws remain oriented in the plane of the tubing throughout the range ofpivoting movement of said arms.